BirdWalk Newsletter 12.10.2017

Walks conducted by Perry Nugent and Ray Swagerty

Newsletter Written by Jayne J. Matney

___________________________________________________ ‘Tis the holiday season for us all, and it may be fun to take a researched look at the birds in the song lyrics of the “Twelve Days of Christmas”. This article was posted last year, but deserves another viewing. Do you know why birds were given as gifts a long time ago? DO you release that the top seven gifts are all birds- even the five golden rings is a reference to birds? So in honor of birds and the holiday season, let’s look.

This song is a cumulative song, which means that it is a series of verses that build onto one another and is thought to be of French origin. The thought is that it came from a children’s memory and forfeit game which was later first published in a children’s book called, Mirth without Mischief in England (1780) titled, “The Twelve Days of Christmas sung at King Pepin’s Ball”. The twelve days represent the twelve consecutive days after Christmas, starting with Christmas Day to the day before Epiphany or “boxing day” to the first day of Epiphany. The song was a simple chant or rhyme, at first, then lyrics began to immerge as a Roud Folk Song about a true love’s gifts. There are so many different versions, it was tough to decipher all of the history, but many countries had their own twists to the song until the standard 1909 arrangement by an English composer named Frederic Austin. This composer elongated the “five golden ring” verse. However, the “five golden rings” is disputed as actually being the golden rings of jewelry! Because the first 6 days around these notorious golden rings are all birds, the 5 golden rings are actually either the characteristic 5 golden rings around the neck of the ringed pheasant or possibly misinterpreted from “five goldspinks” which are goldfinch or maybe even canaries. Although, it is important to note that by the time it was published in the 1780 publication it is depicting the jewelry version. In modern times, many people such as Burl Ives, Bing Crosby and the Andrews

Sisters, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra and his children, Roger Whitaker all have their own recorded songs! Even Alvin and the Chipmunks and also the Muppets with songwriter-singer John Denver have their own versions of the song. A radio play back in 1977 titled “And Yet Another Partridge in a Pear Tree” and parodies on late night television have made their mark on this song. Even the Audubon Society has designated the holiday season as a time for one of the two yearly bird counts.

Now, let’s look at the birds of the first 7 verses, excluding the infamous 5 golden rings!

The Partridge in a Pear Tree:

The crowning glory to the song of gifts, partridges are genetically a mixture of pheasant and jungle fowl types of birds in the taxonomic family of Phasianidae. Size-wise, they are between the large pheasant and small quail species. Many are considered game birds and vary in colorations. Most are very distinctive in colors. They nest on the ground which makes many think that the “in a pear tree” is a bad translation of the original writings of this French verse. Not only are they symbolized in the Christmas song, but they also have major references in Greek mythology and the Kurdish national symbols. There is a long list of species considered partridges. Most partridges are thought of as grassland or farmland type dwellers with strong feet and beaks. They eat seeds and insects. Because there are so many different types, it is impossible to talk about them all. However, if you want to buy your sweetheart a partridge in a pear tree, you can find them in all kinds of forms- from metal wall hangings, to snow globe ones, to paintings of all prices, but the cheapest bet is cardboard popups! Just saying……

The Two Turtle Doves:

Always seem to come in pairs, the turtle doves are placed in a family of birds called Columbidae, or the doves and pigeons. The turtle dove is migratory throughout Europe, Middle East, Turkey, and Northern Africa, and winters in Southern Africa. Like the partridge, the doves

have been referenced in history as symbols: Love and Devotion. It has been indicated in mythology, written about in poems by Shakespeare, and sung in folk songs about love and loss as well as spirituals and hymns. No one is mentioned more in the Bible- representing beauty and innocence. Our Mourning Dove is very familiar to those in North America. Bloomingdales has ceramic turtle doves anywhere between $20 and $300! Yikes! A real turtle dove usually will put you out of about $130-$187, while a simple ornament ($12.95) or chocolates ($28.25) may do. Go for the chocolates!

Three French Hens:

The French breed of hen, the Faverolles, were developed in the 1860’s in two villages, Houdan and Faverolles, in north-central France. They were highly sought after for being both egg producers and meat. They were the breed that provided most of the eggs found in Paris. Over time, they were bred to exhibit for looks as well. German breeders followed suit with these chickens. British breeders later began developing a “prettier” look with more distinct tail feathers. The standard for this type of chicken is a large, stouter body, decorative beard, muffs, and feet. The feet actually have 5 toes instead of most breeds with 4. Their coloring ranges from salmon (the most common color) to white and brown to black, ermine, cuckoo, and blue. Even though they were more recently bred for good looks, they kept their standard of being excellent for egg laying and meat! Not only that, but the French hens are also the best on temperament! They are a quieter, friendlier stock than most chickens and are now considered the most desired for backyard producers and pets. They tend to be bullied when put with other breeds, therefore it is recommended to only mix with other friendly breeds. Their eggs are medium-sized and light brown to pinkish in color.

Four Calling Birds:

In the USA, the song states, “four calling birds”. However, this is not the original wording! The original 1780 song used the terminology, “four colly birds”. The next thing to ask is- what the heck is a colly? Well, the word is derived from a word meaning “black as coal”. So yes, the birds in this story/song are of blackbirds, not those cute little passerines we think of as song birds. Doing a quick search on Yahoo, my favorite comments are as follows: “Colly means black and came from the old word specifically used for coal. “So the four colly birds in the carol are in fact blackbirds. This doesn’t really explain why anyone should want to give their true love four blackbirds, but there’s no accounting for taste….” The song has been rewritten so many times in history, and in 1909 the first publication to use the term “calling birds” existed. Ornithologists would argue that there is no such thing as a calling bird, but “commoners” like to play with words so the interpretation for “calling birds” are the songbirds. If you agree like most people in the world today, the song is most likely referring to a crow or raven. Many sermons have been given using the four calling birds as symbols for the four disciples that were the Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Of course the price for a calling bird varies according to your preferred interpretation!

Geese a Laying:

Narrowing the search to Canada (Canadian) Geese, Branta canadensis, since they are what SC has, they can be described as large, black headed, black necked geese with a distinctive white cheek strap, brown bodies, and the most known birds of North America. Although there are only two recognized species of these geese with seven subspecies distinguished within Canada Geese, as a whole, they are usually discussed by

migratory and non-migratory populations. According to DNR, here in SC we have two migratory populations and one resident population. They go on to say that the largest concentration of the migratory population is located in the Santee National Wildlife Refuge. The current resident population is over 50,000. Canada geese are protected in North America by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and other state and federal laws. Hunting allowances in September puts the focus on the resident geese in SC. They mate for life, build nests on the ground, and have made pests of themselves in farmlands and urban areas. Thus, the hunt is geared toward resident geese rather than during wintering migration season. What are the problems? Well, depredation of farmers’ crops and other vegetative fields, air strike danger, noisiness in neighborhoods, public parks and golf courses, excrement of more than two and one half tons per 50 geese (according to National Geographic), confrontational attacks, and holding up roadways as “goose crossings”. Driving down Harborview Road on James Island, it is a regular phenomenon to see geese in the ponds located there, grazing on yard grasses, and during breeding season, holding up traffic for the family line of ducks- usually an adult in the front, goslings following closely and an adult pulling up the rear. In New Zealand, geese were introduced as game birds in 1905, and by 2011, the government removed all protection status because of the “pest status” they became known for! Geese have been observed to have “assortative behavior for mating” which means that once they are mature enough to breed (usually not until their 3rd or 4th year), they choose their mates of similar size to themselves even though males tend to be larger than females.

Carl Linnaeus described Canada Geese in his work called Systema Naturae. Then the classification name came from an Old Norse term “brandgas” which later became “branta” in Latin for “burnt, brown goose”. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the first notation for the use of Canada Goose to the year 1772! It wasn’t until 2004 that the American Ornithologists’ Union- Committee on Classification and Nomenclature agreed upon two separate species- Canada Goose and the Cackling Goose. Differences are minimal. The male Canadian Goose weighs between 5.7 pounds to 14.3 pounds! Now that could be a nice sized Christmas Goose! Depending on who you want to listen to, the opinions of the meat is all across the board. Drake Larsen of Iowa State University’s research team is quoted as saying in Atlantic magazine, “so yummy….good, lean, rich meat. I find they are

similar to a good cut of beef”, but The British Trust for Ornithology describes the meat as, “reputedly amongst the most inedible of birds”.

Swans a Swimming:

Swans have a very rich cultural significance in many countries and in many religions. The word “swan” is derived from Indo-European “swen” and German, Swedish, and Dutch carry overs meaning song or sound. The term cygnets, used in reference to swanlings, is of Latin, French, and Greek origins. The adult male is called a cob while the adult female is called a pen. Groups of swans are called “bevies” or “wedges”. Swans are the largest of the waterfowl family of Anatidae and are considered one of the largest flying birds. Their wing spans can get to be over 3 meters! The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes the Trumpeter Swan as our “biggest native waterfowl”, “entirely white with black bill and black legs”, but are gray-brown when immature, and goes on to say they are so heavy, that it is difficult and laborious for them to exit the water. The Trumpet Swans are similar to the Tundra Swans. There are 4 or 5 species of swan in the Northern Hemisphere, one species is found in New Zealand and Australia, and one in South America. They are now on the recovery list from being endangered. They breed in Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States. Even though they are praised so highly for their beauty and grace, many people living near them may have a tendency to call them “a nuisance”, “pest”, “feral”, and “noisy”. These North American species do not migrate dramatically. Unlike the Trumpet Swan, the Mute Swan was introduced here from Europe and are sometimes considered “competitors of our precious, native waterfowl”. They have orange bills. These populations are also increasing. Swans live in shallow, still waters and nest on banks close by. They eat vegetative shoots, roots, and stems of aquatic plant-life. Sometimes they forage on ground for seeds. Swans are an endearing symbol for many, not only for their beauty and grace, but also for their monogamous bonds. These bonds can happen within 20 months of hatching and last a lifetime, and the male helps with the nest and raising young. In history, the swan is best known as elegant and graceful, and are symbolic of such characteristics as love, fidelity, rarity, saintliness and transformation. Swans are

features in Greek mythology, Norse mythology, European operas, Irish Legends, poetry, coat-of-arms, Finnish epics, and national symbols of Finland and Denmark. The most famous story is probably “The Ugly Duckling”. During the times of Queen Elizabeth I, the swan was eaten as a show of luxury, yet in many religions, the swan is revered as a spiritual animal.

**** Information for this article came from SCDNR.com, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology (All About Birds), National Geographic Society, Encyclopedia Britannica, Audubon.org, Wikipedia, and Yahoo answers. ******

Feek free to share with loved ones! Have a merry, little Christmas!

From all here at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

Cheers to all the birders out there that make this fun for me!

This weekend on the bird walk, 44 species were seen. Ravenswood was a busy area with Gadwall, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, and Common Moorhen. In the brush opposite Ravenswood Pond, a Hermit Thrush was observed. The Audubon Swamp revealed Wood Duck Yellow-rumped Warbler or “Butter-butt” Photo by Guenter Weber but they were very skittish to the observers. Blue-winged Teal were also seen in the waters there. Several observations were made of a pair of Red-shouldered Hawk between

Ravenswood and The Audubon Swamp. In The Audubon Swamp and median of the exit and entrance road, American Robin made quite a presence with approximately 50 individuals. A highlight in the swamp this time, was at least 2 Rusty Blackbird. The cabin area was an excellent viewing area. Found there were: White-eyed Vireo, European Starling, Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and White-throated Sparrow. In the median between the entrance and exit roads, a large covey of Mourning Dove were seen. Scattered about the property were: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowed Kinglet, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal, and Red-winged Blackbird. At the lawn in front of the house and near the picnic tables, Tree Swallow were busy in the air. A Cooper’s Hawk was seen along the Oak Avenue. A Laughing Gull inn its winter gray plumage was seen on the property along with Wood Stork as a flyover. Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, and Common Grackle were added to the list.

Hermit Thrush Photo by Ray Swagerty